Sport shirt with adjustable collar



Aug. 5, 1947. 1.. M. FISCH 2,425,091

' SPORT SHIRT WITH ADJUSTABLE COLLAR Filed April 18, 19 45 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Lou/s M. F/scH.

ATTORN E-Y.

Au 5, 1947. v HSCH 2,425,091

SHIRT WITH ADJUSTABLE COLLAR Fild April- 18, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fig INVENTOR. Lou/s M. HscH ATTORNEY.

Patented Aug. 5, 1947 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates to apparel and more especially to a sport or leisure shirt or similar garment having features of adjustability in the collar thereof.

The present invention is concerned primarily with a garment such as a sport shirt or other shirt wherein it is desirable that some adjustability be provided in the collar thereof, so that a particular garment may be worn by persons of diiferent neckband sizes or may be worn by an individual with a plurality of collar or neckband conditions with respect to the looseness or tightness of thecollar portion when closed. Heretofore to meet such reqirements separate garments have been necessary, each garment having a specific neckband or collar size. Some adjustability has heretofore been proposed by the use of elastic cords, bands or tabs to which buttons have been secured. It is well known, however, that elastic collar or neckband features are unsatisfactory, due to the tendency to remain tight or to draw around the neck, causing discomfort. By the present invention adjustability is provided without resort to elastic bands or other elastic features, and a garment of the character described is provided which is adapted for a plurality of neckband sizes and one which is at all times comfortable, and attractive in appearance.

In the sports wear field it has been customary to manufacture and market sport shirt in four sizes generally labeled small, medium, large and extra large. Retailers are usually unwilling to stock the necessary intermediate sizes to provide a full complement of sport shirts to accommodate the different sizes such as demanded in dress shirts, Consequently, while the sport shirts available in the four major sizes will satisfactorily fit many wearers they will not fit others. Therefore, while a sport shirt" having the approximate size needed by an individual will look fairly well when open at the neck, it frequently will be a misfit when the neck is closed with or without neckwear, and no sport shirt, dress shirt or other shirt which will correctly fit is obtainable for many individuals requiring intermediate sizes.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a sport shirt or similar article of apparel having adjustable collar securing means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sport shirt or the like having an adjustable collar, wherein the garment may be worn without any telltale features indicating or revealing the adjustable characteristics thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a garment of the character described which may be worn as a sport shirt and providing an open flaring collar when worn in such a manner, and also having a collar construction whereby the garment may be adjustably buttoned to close the collar without the button showing.

An additional object is to provide a shirt construction adapted for both sport wear and dress which is simple to manufacture, requiring fewer sizes, and is neat and attractive in appearance.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent from the description which follows taken in conjunction with the drawings.-

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view, folded, of a shirt embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the upper portion of the shirt showing the collar portion open for wear as a sport shirt.

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 showing the collar buttoned.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the collar contracted to a smaller size in accordance with my invention.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary View showing the inner side of the neck portion of one of the panel illustrating the adjustable features-of the collar.

Figure 6 is a View similar to Figure 4 showing the same as adjusted to a smaller size.

Figure 7 is a sectional View taken along the line l-l of Figure 3.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, I show a garment M which in the present embodiment comprises a shirt of the sport or leisure shirt type also adapted for dres wear having front body panels II and I2, panel I! having a vertical edge or flap [3 and panel l2 having a similar flap M which underlies flap l3. Flap it has a plurality of buttonholes l5, and flap M has a similar number of buttons l5a for engagement therewith in the conventional manner.

A neck area I6 is formed either as a partof, or secured to, the upper part of panels I l and i2 and is also secured to or comprised partly of a rear body panel or yoke I! formin a part of the shirt construction. A collar I8 is shown which may be formed as a continuation of the body panels H, l2 and I! or it may be secured thereto as by stitching Ilia illustrated, the collar being shown as having angularly formed points l9 of conventional sport shirt form. However, these portions of the collar may be cut or formed in any other manner or form if preferred.

The neck area It is approximately delineated by the line of stitching [6a, including, of course, the necessary material above and below the stitching to properly lie against the neck of the wearer. This neck area has end portions 20 and 2| which terminate with the edges of flaps l3 and [4, as shown, and a collar button 23 is suitably secured on the outside of panel I2 adjacent the end portion 2!. End portion 2!! is preferably formed with an inner strip or facing 24, which may be the continuation of the fabric forming the flap l3, and is shown as provided with a vertical stitching 25 (Figure '7), preferably of a type which is not visible from the front of the shirt. Facing 24 is provided with a slit or opening 26 suitably finished with buttonhole stitching.

The adjustable button securing means comprising an important feature of my invention is a tab 21 of inelastic material, preferably of the same fabric as the rest of the shirt, secured at its inner end as by stitching 28 to the neck portion of the panel H near the end 20 and having a free end 29 which extends through the opening 25. This tab 21 is provided. with a plurality of buttonh'oles 3i and 3| which may be suitably finished with buttonhole stitching. It will be understood that the tab 21 may, if desired, comprise a double cord or the like formed with a series of loops for the buttonholes. The example illustrated is preferred, however, for its simplicity of construction and attractiveness of design.

When the shirt is open, the tab end 29 will not ordinarily extend beyond the edge 29, and lying fiat against the facing 25 is not conspicuous nor ing a collar, overlapping front panel portions with the collar buttoned, as shown in Figure 3,

the neck portion may be secured by fastening the endmost buttonhole 30 of tab 2'1 to the collar button 23. If it is desired to adjust the collar to a smaller size, the tab 21 is pulled out as shown in Figures 4 and 6, which slightly draws the neck region as at 32, and presents buttonhole 3| externally of the opening 26 for attachment to the collar button 23. When the: shirt is buttoned in this manner, as shown in Figure 4, the drawn material 32 is covered by the points iii of the collar i8, and no telltale appearance of the adjustable features or the drawing of the panel H are visible, all exposed areas of the shirt in that region lying flat and conforming to the throat of the wearer. When the garment is worn as an open sport shirt, as in Figure 2, the tab 21 is presented merely as a small element of the neck flap and appears to have only a single buttonhole 38. The adjustable features of the collar are therefore not apparent when the shirt is worn in this manner, nor, for reasons explained, when worn closed.

The shirt embodying my invention, as shown and described, is seen to have the objects and advantages stated, as well as others. A garment is provided that is adaptable to variations in use by having adjustable neck sizes which also simplihes trade procedure, making necessary only four standard sizes for a sport shirt or other type of shirt which will nevertheless fit persons of intermediate size. Thus economy and smartness of appearance are added to the features of adiustability set forth. While two buttonholes 3D and 3| ar shown, additional ones may be employed within the spirit of my invention.

Although I have herein shown and described merging into and forming part of said collar, and adjustable collar fastening means comprising a button on one of said panel portions, and an inelastic retractable tab having a plurality of buttonholes, an inner end of said tab being secured to the other panel portion, said last named panel portion comprising a double layer of material and an opening in the inner layer, the secured end of the tab lying between the layers, and the tab having a free end extending towards the inside of the shirt through the said opening in said inner panel portion and engageable with said button in a manner to hide the button behind said last named panel portion when said button and said tab are engaged.

2. A shirt of the character described comprising overlapping front panel portions at least one of which is provided with aninner layer comprising a lining strip formed with an opening, a collar, and adjustable collar fastening means comprising a button on one of said panel portions, and an inelastic tab having a plurality of buttonholes on the other of said panel portions, said tab being secured at an inner end thereof to the outer layer of said neck region of said last named panel under the lining strip thereof and adapted to extend through the opening in said lining when said outer layer is gathered between the secured end of the tab and said overlapping front panel portions.

3. A shirt of the character described comprising overlapping front panel portions at least one of said panel portions being a double layer of material, a collar comprised in part of said panel portions, and adjustable and selective collar securing means comprising a fixed fastener element on one of said panel portions, and an inelastic tab having a plurality of co-0perable fastener elements on the other of said panel portions, said fastener elements being positioned on the inner side of said second panel portion, said tab having an end secured to said panel portion and lying between said layers, said tab having a free end adapted to extend out through said panel portion.

4. A shirt comprising overlapping front panels and a collar extending therefrom, said collar including a double walled neck region terminating at the front in overlapping flaps, and said collar flaps being adapted to lie flat when open, a button externally secured to one flap in a position to be invisible when the collar is open, a cooperating inelastic tab having a plurality of buttonholes for selective engagement with said button to close said collar, said tab being secured to the other flap between the walls thereof and having an end extending through a slot formed in the inner of said walls, said slot being located inwardly from the edge of the flap in which located whereby when the tab is attached to the button to close the collar, both tab and button are concealed beneath the marginal edge region of the outer flap, and said tab being adapted to be pulled through said slot thereby drawing the material of the wall to which it is secured and rendering the next buttonhole in the series accessible for connection with the button, the collar having a pointed portion which overlies and conceals the drawn material when the collar is closed.

5. A shirt comprising overlapping front panels and a collar extending therefrom, said collar including a double walled neck region terminating at the front in overlapping flaps, said overlapping flaps being adapted to lie flat when open, a button externally secured to one flap in a position to be invisible when the collar is open, a cooperating inelastic tab having a plurality of buttonholes for selective engagement with said button to close said collar, said tab being secured to the other flap between the walls thereof and having an end extending through a slot formed in the inner of said walls, said slot being located inwardly from the edge of the flap in which located whereby when the tab is attached to the button to close the collar, both tab and button are concealed beneath the marginal edge region of the outer flap, and said tab being adapted to be pulled through said slot thereby drawing the material of the wall to which it is secured and rendering the next buttonhole in the series accessible for connection with the button, the collar having a portion which overlies and conceals the drawn material when the collar is closed.

6. A shirt comprising overlapping front panels and a collar extending therefrom, said collar including a double walled neck region terminating at the front in overlapping flaps, and said collar flaps being adapted to lie fiat when open, a button externally secured to one flap in a position to be invisible when the collar is open, a cooperating inelastic tab having at least one buttonhole therein for engagement with said button to close said collar, said tab being secured to the other flap between the walls thereof and having an end extending through a slot formed in the inner of said walls, said slot being located inwardly from the edge of the flap in which located whereby when the tab is attached to the button to close the collar, both tab and button are concealed beneath the marginal edge region of the outer flap, and said tab being adapted to be pulled through said slot thereby drawing the material of the wall to which it is secured, the collar having a portion which overlies and conceals the drawn material when the collar is closed.

7. In a shirt of the character described having at least one double walled panel portion in the collar area, and having an opening through the inner wall of said panel portion, a retractable tab secured to the outer wall of said panel portion between said panel walls and partially projecting through said opening, said projecting portion having a buttonhole therein normally hidden behind said panel when the collar of the shirt is in a closed position and being exposed to view when said collar is in an opened position.

LOUIS M. FISCH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,579,339 Sweetser Apr. 6, 1926 2,345,764 May Apr. 4, 1944 

